LA’s most dangerous holiday is coming up

In just a few days, the streets of Los Angeles will be flooded with swarms of costumed children, knocking on strangers’ doors, asking for candy after dark.

If this tradition has ever sounded sketchy – we’re talking to you, parents – you might actually be onto something.

Over the past eight years, Halloweenhas been the city’s most dangerous holiday.

This conclusion comes from statistics we sourced from the Los Angeles Police Department’s public online database. From 2010 to 2017, October 31 had more crime reports each year than any other major holiday, except for 2010, when the Fourth of July edged out Halloween for the top spot.

Source: LAPD Criminal Database.

On an even spookier note: the average number of crime reports on Halloween from 2010-2017 for LA?

666.

Ignoring that terrifying coincidence for a moment, consider this: Halloween consistently has 100 more crime reports in a day than LA’s daily average. Looking at the data, no other holiday even comes close to Halloween in average crimes per day since 2010.

True to theme, Christmas and Thanksgiving show up as the most docile holidays in Los Angeles. Halloween is clearly tops for high crime, with New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July close behind.

Source: LAPD Criminal Database

Many of the crimes listed by the LAPD during Halloween feature robberies. Just last year, for example, the police reported someone brandishing a handgun during a drugstore robbery in Reseda. The suspect was listed as wearing a Halloween mask during the incident, where they allegedly jumped over the counter and hit the victim with their weapon. On the same day at the same time, a suspect wearing a Halloween mask robbed a mini-mart in Vermont Square.

Perhaps those who join the costumed masses this Wednesday should be mindful of more than just scandalous costumes and unhealthy candy. For those who want more information, the LAPD will host a “Halloween safety tips” event starting at 5 a.m. on Halloween Day in Panorama City.